Earl of Warwick. Sweet York, begin: and if thy claim be good,
The Nevils are thy subjects to command.

Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). Then thus:
Edward the Third, my lords, had seven sons:
965The first, Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales;
The second, William of Hatfield, and the third,
Lionel Duke of Clarence: next to whom
Was John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster;
The fifth was Edmund Langley, Duke of York;
970The sixth was Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester;
William of Windsor was the seventh and last.
Edward the Black Prince died before his father
And left behind him Richard, his only son,
Who after Edward the Third's death reign'd as king;
975Till Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Lancaster,
The eldest son and heir of John of Gaunt,
Crown'd by the name of Henry the Fourth,
Seized on the realm, deposed the rightful king,
Sent his poor queen to France, from whence she came,
980And him to Pomfret; where, as all you know,
Harmless Richard was murder'd traitorously.

Earl of Warwick. Father, the duke hath told the truth:
Thus got the house of Lancaster the crown.

Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). The third son, Duke of Clarence, from whose line
I claimed the crown, had issue, Philippe, a daughter,
990Who married Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March:
Edmund had issue, Roger Earl of March;
Roger had issue, Edmund, Anne and Eleanor.

Earl of Salisbury. This Edmund, in the reign of Bolingbroke,
As I have read, laid claim unto the crown;
995And, but for Owen Glendower, had been king,
Who kept him in captivity till he died.
But to the rest.

Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). His eldest sister, Anne,
My mother, being heir unto the crown
1000Married Richard Earl of Cambridge; who was son
To Edmund Langley, Edward the Third's fifth son.
By her I claim the kingdom: she was heir
To Roger Earl of March, who was the son
Of Edmund Mortimer, who married Philippe,
1005Sole daughter unto Lionel Duke of Clarence:
So, if the issue of the elder son
Succeed before the younger, I am king.

Earl of Warwick. What plain proceeding is more plain than this?
Henry doth claim the crown from John of Gaunt,
1010The fourth son; York claims it from the third.
Till Lionel's issue fails, his should not reign:
It fails not yet, but flourishes in thee
And in thy sons, fair slips of such a stock.
Then, father Salisbury, kneel we together;
1015And in this private plot be we the first
That shall salute our rightful sovereign
With honour of his birthright to the crown.

Richard Plantagenet (Duke of Gloucester). We thank you, lords. But I am not your king
1020Till I be crown'd and that my sword be stain'd
With heart-blood of the house of Lancaster;
And that's not suddenly to be perform'd,
But with advice and silent secrecy.
Do you as I do in these dangerous days:
1025Wink at the Duke of Suffolk's insolence,
At Beaufort's pride, at Somerset's ambition,
At Buckingham and all the crew of them,
Till they have snared the shepherd of the flock,
That virtuous prince, the good Duke Humphrey:
1030'Tis that they seek, and they in seeking that
Shall find their deaths, if York can prophesy.